RIP Floppy Discs

[Count Machuki]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8643844.stm

Sony has signalled what could be the final end of the venerable floppy disk.

The electronics giant has said it will stop selling the 30-year-old storage media in Japan from March 2011.

Earlier this year Sony stopped selling the disks in most international markets due to dwindling demand and competition from other storage formats.

Some of the greats...

[JQW]

The only time I really needed them during the past 10 years or so was for installing the operating system on PCs. If you needed to install Windows 2000 or XP and needed to install extra device drivers for the disc controller, then the only way to install them was from a floppy disc or two. Other operating systems worked in the same way. Also many system firmware updates could only be done by booting off floppy.

[jude]

There's been several stories like this as manufacturers have, one by one, decided to stop producing floppies (or when shops such as PC World have stopped stocking them).

Like Paul, i rarely use them, in fact i can't remember the last time i did. My PC at work doesn't even have a floppy drive (although that might be more of a data security measure than anything).

[Count Machuki]

I think I last used one during my undergrad study...probably ten years ago. Maybe I've seen a backup done to floppy since then. Some of my work software still gives the option to 'copy to diskette,' and I still have a 3.5" drive in the office.

[Count Machuki]

I'm moving offices this week and haven't found a single floppy disc in all my packing!